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Pructus Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

An historical ~~

Hi,

"An historical ~~ " seems to be widely used.

Doesn't it have to be "A historical ~~"?
  

Top answer

It doesn't have to be. You really have the choice. Because 'historical' carries its stress on the second syllable, the /h/ is very lightly pronounced by many speakers, and 'an' produces a smoother speech flow.

— Mister Micawber

  • It doesn't have to be.
  • You really have the choice.
  • Because 'historical' carries its stress on the second syllable, the /h/ is very lightly pronounced by many speakers, and 'an' produces a smoother speech flow.
  • When writing, it would be prudent to use 'a', I suppose.
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2 Answers
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It doesn't have to be. You really have the choice. Because 'historical' carries its stress on the second syllable, the /h/ is very lightly pronounced by many speakers, and 'an' produces a smoother speech flow. When writing, it would be prudent to use 'a', I suppose.
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I see...

Thanks, Mister Micawber!!

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